Acclaimed Holocaust researcher visits Melbourne

The Jewish Holocaust Centre hosted visiting scholar Dr Geoff Megargee in September 2010. Dr Megargee is an applied research scholar at the Centre for Advanced Holocaust Studies at the Washington-based United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the acclaimed seven-volume Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 19331945, which provides the first comprehensive survey of all known Nazi camps and ghettos. The encyclopedia has received the 2009 National Jewish Book Award, the 2010 Judaica Reference Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries, the Library Journal’s Best of Reference 2009, and was designated a Choice magazine 2010 Outstanding Academic Title. Dr Megargee is also the author of several books, including Inside Hitler’s High Command and Barbarossa 1941: Hitler’s War of Annihilation

Dr Megargee delivered two lectures at the Jewish Holocaust Centre. At the first lecture he spoke about the Nazi camp and ghetto system, outlining the research undertaken at the Centre for Advanced Holocaust Studies. The Centre is undertaking a comprehensive examination of the size, scope and interconnectedness of the camp system. Its research to date has revealed that the size of the Nazi concentration camp universe was much larger than scholars had previously believed. Dr Megargee stated: ‘This project will provide the public and historians with a much more detailed understanding of the scale of the Nazis’ systematic attempt to exterminate Europe’s Jews, as well as their persecution of other groups for racial and political reasons.’

Dr Megargee also spoke – during his second lecture –about the crimes of the German military, about former German generals’ memories, and how the psychological theories of memory and cognitive dissonance can help us interpret them. Both sessions were extremely interesting and provided new insights into the Holocaust.